The Super Power of Summer
It’s hard to find the positives in running when you are training through the heat of the summer. Every year we address this issue but the reality is that no matter how many years you run for, you will always benefit from advice on how to train healthily and smart in the summer. For years, I have struggled to train throughout these warm months. After having a few heat strokes, I figured it was time to make some adjustments.
A lot of runners can be impatient. It’s hard to convince someone in the middle of a training battle that what they are doing is going to pay off when they least expect it. From my experience, I have always been able to build confidence in knowing the more consistent and harder I trained in the summer, then, the faster I will run in the fall when it counts. I believe that even knowing the paces and times may not look all that impressive in the middle of July.
For some, running in the heat doesn’t affect their performance. However, for many people, the heat can be the demise of one’s training.
I believe it’s important to identify if you are a runner who struggles in the warmer weather. Acceptance is half the battle of improving yourself. If you don’t identify with being a strong heat runner, don’t beat yourself. You aren’t a bad runner because the heat wipes you out. You are human and all humans are made a little different. It should be a reminder that the summer is a time for you to train, not race. And if you are going to race, then, you will need to adjust your expectations.
After my third heat stroke in 2017, it was time for me to acknowledge the fact that I may never be a summer racer again. Once I accepted that my body was more susceptible to heat sickness, that’s when I became a more successful athlete in July and August. Knowing that this is a weakness of mine, I decided to make some modifications to my training. One being addressing my hydration errors. Instead of just making a conscious effort to hydrate the day before a hard workout or hard run, I made it my mission to be consistent with hydration and fluids every single day. I started planning more runs around water and was not too proud to cut a run a few miles short if I was starting to feel the signs of early heat sickness.
I also realized that the time of the day I started my runs made a big difference. Instead of waiting until 7 a.m. to run, I made the effort to get out there before the sun came up. I embraced the attitude of running off time opposed to distance, and didn't worry about my pace for runs and workouts. Ever since adopting this new mindset around the type of runner I am, I have been able to build a lot of confidence from my summer runs. Attitude is everything in this sport. We can choose to look at the things that we struggle with as a negative or an opportunity to improve. Allow summer running to be your superpower. Your future you will be proud you took it on head first.
Stay safe and stay consistent!
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